BE NOT IGNORANT

 

ROMANS 1:11-13

           I want to talk to you today on the subject of “Be Not Ignorant”.  The word ignorant means lacking knowledge or understanding; being unlearned or uneducated.  As college students you have come here to NCSU to gain understanding and knowledge about a profession that you think you want to enter.  You want to know what requirements and special skills are needed to be successful in your chosen profession.  You expect professors to help develop those skill in you and to impart to you knowledge and understanding associated with the profession you are planning to enter.  When it is time to go to work you don’t want to appear ignorant.  You want to feel confident that you are prepared to enter the work force and have a good career.  So as college students we understand the concept of not being ignorant.

          Speaking to these new Christians, Paul, in the Book of Romans, tells them that he had for some time desired to come and teach them.  He did not want them to be ignorant about Christ or about other things associated with being a Christian.  He wanted to teach them so that they would grow and produce fruit such as other Christians and righteous living.  He did not want them to be ignorant.  This is not the only time where Paul uses the phrase “be not ignorant”.  As we proceed this morning we will look at a few other occasions where he refers to man’s ignorance or encourages man not to be ignorant. 

          One might ask why Paul was so concerned about ignorance in the early Church.

ROMANS 10: 1-3

          Paul’s concern, in this instance, was that some of his Israelite brothers were attempting to teach these new Christians erroneous information.  Now these Jews were not doing this out of spite or to be deceptive.  The earnestly thought that they were correct.  Paul says of them, “they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge”.  In other words he is saying that they want to do the right thing, but they are ignorant about what is right.  Some of you that are present here today have a zeal for God, but you are also lack basic knowledge about God and His plan for mankind.  You have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  Your zeal is evident.  You saw a need for Church service on Sunday morning and you took steps to make it happen.  I applaud you for doing so.  However, some of you, like many in America, lack understanding of what church really is.  Some see church as simply an event or activity in which those of like beliefs participate.   Church has been called the largest social club and the most attended social hour in America.  But church is more than just another time for people to assemble.  Church must have purpose and thus I challenge you individually and as a corporate group to establish a purpose for coming here or going anywhere else to church. 

          Now I told you earlier that we would look at some other places where Paul admonished the people not to be ignorant.

I Corinthians 10:1-11

          This particular scripture relates to God delivering the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  If you have ever seen the Ten Commandments on TV, it is that time period in Israel’s history that is being spoken of.  Paul want them to understand (not be ignorant about the fact) that God delivered all the Children of Israel.  He made provision for all of them to have food to eat and water to drink.  However, He was not pleased with all of them, and thus some of them perished without ever seeing the promise land.  Paul goes on to list, in verses 7-10, the reasons why God was displeased with some of them.  But in verses 5 and 11, he says what happened to Israel is being shared as an example to us.  In other words we are not to be ignorant, but rather we are to gain something from the experiences of Israel.  What are we to learn from this?  I believe the lesson to be learned here is that God will deliver us when we need deliverance and that He will make provision for us when it is necessary.  But God also has expectations of those whom He delivers and make provision for.  God has expectations of man.  (Now I want you to consider this scenario.  Suppose you signed up for a class, but you never went to class.  You did not get a syllabus nor did you bother to contact the professor or anyone else in the class.  Test dates were posted on the bulletin board, so you just showed up to take each test.  However, though you were totally slack, you managed to average 90 on your test and final exam.  But when you got your grade, it was an “F”.   This of course confused you.  You were certain it was a mistake, so you finally went to see the professor.  He explained to you that in the syllabus, as well as on the first day of class, and several times throughout the semester he had told the class that test and final exam only accounted for 50% of the final grade.  The other 50% was for attendance, office visits and class participation.  So since half of 90 is 45 and half of 0 is 0, your final average is 45, which is an “F”.   Now the question becomes, whose fault is it that you failed the class?  Why did you fail?  You failed because you did not bother to find out what expectations and requirements the professor had.  You assumed you knew, but know are willing to admit that you were ignorant, lacking understanding.)  This is how some people treat God.  They want the benefits that God have to offer.  They even want to go to Heaven when they die.  But they do not bother to consider God’s expectations.  They assume, based on some self set criteria that all is well between them and God.  Imagine their surprise when they find that they have failed.  They end up in Hell because of their ignorance of God’s expectations.  “Be Not Ignorant”.

 I Corinthians 12:1-3

          Again Paul tells the people that he does not want them to be ignorant, but this time they are not to be ignorant concerning the Gifts of God.  The Bible teaches that God has made available, free of charge, all that we need to meet His expectations.  (2 Peter 1:3 - According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: )  All man needs to do is 3 things:

1) acknowledge his desire to meet God’s expectation (Philip. 3:10 - That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ) 

2)  seek to know God’s expectations (Ephes. 5:17 - Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. ; 2 Tim. 2:15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

3)  commit to carrying out the expectations of God (1 Cor. 10:31 -

    Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. )

II Peter 3:3 – 9

          Here Peter warns that if you are going to be ignorant, don’t be ignorant about this one thing, one day Jesus will return.  You many not understand all that there is to know about God and His will and plan for man, but this one thing you really should pay attention to.  Jesus has promised to return and take those who have established a relationship with Him to live with God.  He has promised that one day each man will have to stand before and give an account of the life he has lived.  Don’t be ignorant; though it has not happened yet, the Lord is not slack concerning what He has promised.  It will happen one day. (I Thess. 4:13-18)

          There are other scriptures in the Bible where Paul and other writers spoke of man’s ignorance and/or encouraged man not to be ignorant about the will and expectation of God.  Just like your professor will not force you to come to class, God will not force you into a relationship with Him.  However, just as your professor will reward or punish you based on how well you met his expectations, likewise your eternity is based on meeting God’s expectations. Understand the seriousness of this issue and “Be Not Ignorant”.

 

 3/23/2002